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My rollercoaster

Gosh I'm tired of the rollercoaster. When LO was tiny, I remember thinking "This will all be a vague memory". Baby is almost 6 months old now, and I'm still struggling every day.
Quick recall:
Adopted baby, managed to get to exclusive b/f, and then found out that LO wasn't gaining hardly at all, started supplimenting when all else failed, and by all else I mean oatmeal, fenugreek, blessed thistle, domperidone, high protein diet, lots of calcium, lots of vitamin B, fennel tea, basil, a ton of water, lots of rest, co sleeping and nursing around the clock for hours on end.
We stayed at one bottle a day for quite a while, but now LO is acting hungry again. I'm up to three 4 oz bottles a day, and one through the night, along with rice cereal twice a day. The boy has an insatiable appetite, and I just can't keep up with it through b/f. He is only 5 and a half months old, I never fed any of my biological children cereal until about 8 months, and then they didn't really care for it.
I guess what this long post is all about is that I feel like I have failed him, and I'm always embarrassed to give him a bottle. Yesterday HD said "another bottle"? and I was almost in tears. He was mearly commenting on his huge appetite, but it feels like a jab to my inability to nurse the child. Milk supply was never an issue for my 5 other chidren, it was always just a given, that I could feed my children. I know b/f isn't just about milk, and I am grateful that I have created such a strong bond with my little man. I just need to focus on that I guess.

Re: My rollercoaster

Re: My rollercoaster

wildspirit,
I can completely relate to what you are going through. I am in the thick of it myself and have all the same feelings you are having. Not to mention that having to supplement is really hard work and sometimes you wish you could just BF an call it a day. All I can do is give you the encouragement I've been getting here and tell you that you are doing a great job and providing something amazing for your baby. Your LO is still getting lots of BM. Good luck!

Re: My rollercoaster

Originally Posted by @llli*wild.spirit

Gosh I'm tired of the rollercoaster. When LO was tiny, I remember thinking "This will all be a vague memory". Baby is almost 6 months old now, and I'm still struggling every day.
Quick recall:
Adopted baby, managed to get to exclusive b/f, and then found out that LO wasn't gaining hardly at all, started supplimenting when all else failed, and by all else I mean oatmeal, fenugreek, blessed thistle, domperidone, high protein diet, lots of calcium, lots of vitamin B, fennel tea, basil, a ton of water, lots of rest, co sleeping and nursing around the clock for hours on end.
We stayed at one bottle a day for quite a while, but now LO is acting hungry again. I'm up to three 4 oz bottles a day, and one through the night, along with rice cereal twice a day. The boy has an insatiable appetite, and I just can't keep up with it through b/f. He is only 5 and a half months old, I never fed any of my biological children cereal until about 8 months, and then they didn't really care for it.
I guess what this long post is all about is that I feel like I have failed him, and I'm always embarrassed to give him a bottle. Yesterday HD said "another bottle"? and I was almost in tears. He was mearly commenting on his huge appetite, but it feels like a jab to my inability to nurse the child. Milk supply was never an issue for my 5 other chidren, it was always just a given, that I could feed my children. I know b/f isn't just about milk, and I am grateful that I have created such a strong bond with my little man. I just need to focus on that I guess.

You are pleased that you're able to give your milk to your baby and that you've built such a strong bond with him. At the same time, it's upsetting to you that despite making every effort known to humans, you are not producing enough milk right now. It's as though you are looking at two sides of a scale, looking for balance or whether one side outweighs the other. And, given that you breastfed your son's five siblings with no supply problems, you feel perplexed and dismayed at this experience. You are a very experienced mother. How can it be that with baby number six you're facing a new challenge?

You say that this baby is adopted and none of the others are. Perhaps that accounts for the difference in your breastfeeding experience with him.

Kudos to you for your loving mothering of all your children. What I hear in your post is deep love and commitment to doing what is best for your baby. He definitely has the right mother.

Re: My rollercoaster

Thank you, you are very kind.
I need to remember how lucky I am to have him, and how so many adoptive mothers don't even consider b/f as they don't realize it is an option.
If I could concentrate on how much he DOES nurse, instead of counting bottles, I may have a little more peace of mind.
Thank you again.
Tina

Re: My rollercoaster

Gee, it's been a while since I've posted here, and I just wanted to post again to say that it has been months since I've had to give a bottle, and baby is happy and gaining well. He is eating solid food twice a day and since we started this, we haven't had to give a bottle. I am still taking Domperidone, and if I miss a dose, I really notice it, but that's a small price to pay for the reward of being able to b/f my little darling.
Thank you for all the support I received while I was struggling, I was lucky to have found you.
Tina

Re: My rollercoaster

Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being ~ Kittie Frantz
Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth ~ Albert Einstein
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma GandhiLooking for more information about vaccines?